Electromagnetic adhesion means for railroad locomotives



K. KUCERA 3,307,058 EL-ECTROMAGNETIC ADHESION MEANS FOR RAILROADLOCOMOTIVES Feb. 28, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jem. 20, 1964 Feb. 28,1967 l K. KUCERA 3,307,058

ELECTROMAGNETIC ADHESION MEANS FOR RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVES Filed Jan.20,-1964 v l 5 Sheets-$heet 2 m N w Q l l l lll 1 l Il1-rr 1 L IN1/EmiliI 9 @DLI/- K. KUCERA 3,307,058

ELECTROMAGNETC ADHESION MEANS FOR RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVES Feb. 28, 1967 5Sheets-Sheep 5 Filed Jan. 20, 1964 INVENTUR.

United States Patent O 3,307,058 ELECTRUMAGNIETIC ADll-IESIN MEANS FRRAILRAD LOCOM'IIVES Karel Kncera, 2nd and Adams, Neill, Nebr. 68763Filed dan. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 338,837 1 Claim. (Cl. S10-93) The presentinvention relates to braking means for railroad vehicles, and moreparticularly it relates to electromagnetic adhesion means for railroadlocomotives in which a group of electromagnets are being utilized tobring a railroad vehicleto a stop. It is understood that the presentinvention may lind utilization in steam-driven locomotives, as well as,in electric locomotives, dieselelectric locomotives, diesel-hydrauliclocomotives, in railway cars and other such vehicles operating onconventional type rails. Also, the present invention may be applied totoy electric trains and other such vehicles which may be operated upondouble, triple or single railroad tracks.

It is fully realized that there are a number of devices and brakesystems in use in which magnets are being utilized to brake the wheelsof railroad vehicles. In the latter, the magnets may be mounted upon thevehicle chassis, facing the rim of the car wheel. When the magnets insuch a brake system are energized an electromagnetic field is producedwhich reacts upon the rotating car wheels to increase the vehiclestraction. While in the latter brake system the magnets Aface the rim ofthe car wheel, in the present invention the electromagnets may becarried under the locomotive, upon conveniently mounted frames, facingthe railroad track. The poles of the electromagnets are held upon themounting frames very close to the rail, always facing the rail, butnever touching the rail. Also, the electromagnets may be held to themounting frames vertically over the rail, or they may be mounted facingthe long side `of the rail, or horseshoe type electromagnets having apair o-f poles may be mounted over the rail in such a manner as one polein said pair facing one side of the rail, while the other pole in saidpair facing the opposite side of the rail.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an efficientelectromatnetic brake system by means of which a railroad vehicle may beslowed down to a stop in the shortest time possible.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electromagnetic brakemeans for railroad vehicles which may be inexpensive to manufacture,easy to install in a locomotive, simple to operate and efficient.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a means formounting each individual electromagnet to the mounting brackets andmeans for servicing the electromagnets.

A lfurther object of this invention is to provide electrical conduitmeans for supplying each electromagnet under the railroad vehicle withelectric current from a current source.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electric switch andcontrol panel means from which the operation of said electromagnets maybe controlled from the locomotive.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction,and the combination and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specicallypointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the invention in detail, references will be made to theaccompanying drawings, where like character numerals denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of the electric locomotive showing theapplication of the present invention.

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FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a section through the electromagnets showing the manner ofmounting;

FIG. 5 is a modification showing the application of a horse-shoe typeelectromagnet to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a group of electromagnets shown in FIG. 5;

PIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view through another modification showing theapplication of a horse-shoe type electromagnet.

It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely forthe purpose of illustration and that there might be various modicationsthereof, without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinset forth.

Referring now more particularly to the electromagnetic brake system,made in accordance with the present invention, best seen in FIG. l, itcomprises, in combination, the locomotive engine 11; the vehicleschassis 12; the front group of wheels 13; the rear group of wheels 14;the front wheel supporting cage 15; the rear wheel supporting cage 16;the electromagnets supporting frames or supporting brackets 17 and 18,respectively; and the group lof electromagnets 19 and 20, respectively.It is, `of course, understood that FIG. 1, being only a side elevationalview of the locomotive engine 11, shows one row of electromagnets. InFIGS. 2 and 3, it can be seen that a `similar row of electromagnets arebeing utilized and are shown mounted on the other side of the locomotiveengine, substantially as shown.

Reference now being made to the enlarged sectional view shown in FIG. 4,it can be seen that one end 17a of the supporting frame or thesupporting bracket 17 in the front Wheel cage 15, may be held to thelatter by means of the vertical mounting plate 21, which through themedium of the elongated slot 22 may be mounted over the wheel shaft, orthe axle 23. The plate 21 may be provided with a pair of shoe extensions24 and 25, respectively. A pair of compression coil springs 26 and 27may be readily housed under the shoe extensions 24 and 25. The shoeextensions 24 and 2S and their respective springs 26 and 27 may belcontained within the bearing mounting 28 in the front wheel cage 1S. Amounting similar to the one herein described may be provided in theopposite end 17b of the frame 17. Through the medium of a secondaryvertical plate 21a (similar to the plate 21) the opposite end 17b of theframe 17 is supported over the axle 23a. The rear wheel cage 16 issimilar in construction, in all essential details, with the front wheelcage 15, as already above described. Also, the electromagnets aresimilarly mounted. Accordingly, all the character numerals alreadyutilized in the description of the construction of the front wheel cage15 may be reproduced in the description of the construction of the rearwheel cage 16 and its electromagnet mounting means.

In regard to the manner of mounting the electromagnets, each magnet inthe group 19 (or 20) may be provided With a soft iron core 29(preferably round or square in section) having a hard rubber or plasticmounting sleave 30. An opening 31 in the sleave 30 receives the softiron core 29; the latter being long enough to extend beyond thesupporting frame 19, yet short enough not to contact the top of the railL. A group of holes 32 may I be machined in the frame 17 into which, bymeans of the extensions 3.3, the plastic mounting sleaves 30 are beingheld in a substantially vertical position. A length of fine, insulated,wire may be wound around the vertical sleave 30 to complete theconstruction of the electromagnets, substantially as shown. If it isnecessary, the outside of tion, it is rather obvious, ymagnetic adhesionsystem for locomotives 1s extremely simple.` For the purpose ofenergizing the magnets which the electromagnets may be covered with aplastic bag (not shown) to protect the latter from the elements.

Referring more particularly to the modification shown in FIGS. 5 and 6,inclusive, it can be discerned that the locomotive engine 34 is similarin all details of construction with the locomotive shown in FIGS. 1 to4, inclusive, except that the electromagnets in the groups 19 and Z0(now in the groups 35 and 36) may be provided with a horse-shoe typearmature (or core) 37, 38, 39 and 40, Asubstantially as shown.Otherwise, the mounting of the electromagnets is substantially similarto the form of mounting already described in FIGS. 1 to 4, except thatthe cores are additionally provided with the magnetic plates or shoes37a. Because the electromagnet mount- -ing means, and the wheel mountingcages in both instances is similar, the same character numerals arebeing used throughout. Also, FIG. 5 shows the wiring diagram. It can bediscerned that each electromagnet may be provided with a pair of conduitwires a and b, which connect to a secondary conduit c and d (all the awires connect to the conduit c, and all the b wires connect to theconduit d). By means of the additional conduits f and e, it is possibleto connect the secondary conduits c and d to the on-and-off switch S inthe locomotive. Electric current to energize the electromagnets may begenerated through the electric generator G, which is driven by thediesel engine E. Current piped through the conduit wires g and h, fromthe generator G, leads to the distributor box X, and by means of theU-shaped conduit box Z may be delivered to the on-and-of switch S,substantially as shown.

FIG. 8 shows another modification. In this case the electromagnet 38 maybe provided with a horse-shoe type armature 39 having a pair of poles40a and 41, respectively, each pole facing the side of the rail L. The

electromagnet 38a may be held to the mounting frame or bracket 43 bymeans of clamps (not shown). A number of similar electromagnets may beprovided in the front and rear wheel cage to produce a braking effectsubstantially as above already described.

From the description of the construction of my inventhat the operationof my electroare mounted under the locomotive engine (on either sidethereto) all that is necessary is to turn upon the switch handle in theon-and-off switch S. Of course, it is understood, that the switch S maybe provided with a rheostat to allow the regulation of the currentsupply to the electromagnets, to vary the magnetic eld produced, andthus control the braking effect.

A -careful examination of the foregoing description in connection withthe inventionas illustrated inthe drawings, will enable the reader toobtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features ofmerit and novelty, suflicient to clarify the construction of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size materials, and rearrangement of parts, maybe resorted to in actual practice, as long as no departure is made fromthe`invention claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is the following:

An electromagneticbraking system of the class described for locomotiveengines, comprising in combination, a standard type locomotive, anelectric power source', a locomotive engine chassis, a front group ofwheels and a rear group of wheels under said locomotive chassis,

wheel cages supporting said wheels, a plurality of vmounting framesunder said locomotive held to said wheel cages, and a group ofelectromagnets mounted in said mounting frames, said electromagnetshaving armatures vertically mounted thereto, the bottom of saidarmatures facing the railroad tracks, conduit wires connecting saidelectric source to said electromagnets and a switch to regulate thesupply of current to said magnets the operation upon said switchenergizing said magnets to produce a magnetic eld to increase thetraction of said locomotive for discontinuing the motion of saidlocomotive upon said railroad track, each of said electromagnets havingarma'- tures which are of horseshoe type and having a pair of poles,each of said poles facing an opposite vertical side of each of the railsof said track.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,555 2/1933McCune 105-77 2,159,814 5/1939 McCune 105-77 2,194,825 3/1940 Earl l05772,270,425 l/l942 Farmer 303-3 MILTON O. HIRSHFIELD, PrmaryExam/ter.

MILTON BUCI-ILER, DAVID X. SLINEY, B. FAUST, Examiners.

